Academics
- Program type:
- Take classes with other American students at a study center in the center of Florence. Satisfy your requirements and have the opportunity to gain professional experience through an internship with a Florentine company.
- Level:
- Term:
- Fall semester
- Spring semester
- Prerequisites:
- 2.5 GPA
- Sophomores and above
- Courseload:
Your courses will challenge you to explore historical and contemporary Italian issues. Enroll in a language class and other courses such as:
- Art History
- Business
- Retail Merchandising
- Cross-Cultural Psychology
- Italian Language (beginning through advanced)
- Literature
- Sociology of Crime
- Studio Art (Drawing, Photography, Bookmaking)
Faculty
On-site support is provided by a local learning abroad center. Students have access to a computer lab and classroom space. On-site staff provide information to students regarding cultural activities as well as ensuring 24-hour emergency support. The study center provides student housing, program classrooms, and study areas, and arranges on-site orientation, program excursions, and social and cultural events. Italian and international faculty from universities in and around Florence provide all course instruction.
How to Apply
Click the button below to visit this program's web page for more information about the application process for this program.
About This Program
Famous for its Renaissance legacy, Florence is a thriving city of 500,000 people and a fascinating mix of old and new. Buses, taxis, and mopeds drive within feet of the Duomo, Florence's magnificent cathedral; chic shops and elegant restaurants line the charming avenues; historic piazzas, ringed with outdoor cafes, host performance artists and flea markets. Enjoy the region's mild climate and world-famous cuisine in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Take classes in art, language, business, psychology, and culture in a 15th-Century palazzo adorned with murals and statues. Just steps from Santa Croce and a short walk to the Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, and Ponte Vecchio, the resources of the city enrich your studies. The warm and friendly Florentines are happy to encourage your language acquisition, and Florence's central location makes it easy to explore the rest of Italy, as well as other European countries.
Students partcipating in this program can chose to live with a host family or in a shared apartment. Internship students are required to live with a host family .
- Homestays: Students choosing to live with a host family will experience true Florentine life. You will have a furnished bedroom in an Italian home, and some meals are also included. This is a great opportunity to excel with your Italian language ability and also to live and learn with Florentines.
- Apartments: Students choosing an apartment will be housed with other American students on the program. You will live in furnished student apartments, and each apartment has two to four bedrooms.
In addition to exploring Florence all students participate in a 5-day study tour to Sicily. This study tour includes intensive language study, historical tours, guest lectures and a visit to Mount Etna.
All students will have the opportunity to experience Italian host families through a hosted evening dinner with an Italian family.
About the Learning Abroad Center
The Learning Abroad Center in the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance is the University of Minnesota's comprehensive resource for study, service-learning, work, intern, volunteer, and travel experiences worldwide.
The Learning Abroad Center is a leader in providing innovative international learning experiences that expand and redefine the world for a diverse population of students, colleagues, and staff. The Learning Abroad Center staff and University of Minnesota faculty and staff participate in numerous leadership opportunities and serve on the advisory boards of organizations who provide and/or support education abroad programs. Through collaboration and individual attention, the Learning Abroad Center continues to promote empowerment, development, understanding, and responsibility in the global community.
A variety of program options--300 programs in over 80 countries--have been developed to address the diverse needs of students. Programs vary in length, level, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and degree of independence demanded of the participant.
